US1879993A

US1879993A - Pile driver

Info

Publication number: US1879993A
Application number: US571992A
Authority: US
Inventors: Salmon Reginald George
Original assignee: British Steel Piling Co Ltd
Current assignee: British Steel Piling Co Ltd
Priority date: 1930-12-16
Filing date: 1931-10-30
Publication date: 1932-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1949-09-27

Description

Sept 27, 1932. G, SALMON I ,879,993

FILE DRIVER Filed Oct. 50. 19:51

,Jmerdn'u REGINALD GEORGE SALMON,

M q-MJ Mime/I Patented Sept. 27, 1932 Darren stares earner orator REGINALD GEORGE SALMON, OF BARKINGSIDE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO TEE BRITISH STEEL FILING COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDONQENGLAND, .A. CORPO RAT-ION OF GREAT BEITAEH AND NORTHERN IRELAIQ'D FILE DRIVER Application filed October 30, 1931, Serial No. 571,992, and in Great Britain December 16, 1930.

This invention relates to pile drivers and more particularly to drivers for steel plate piling.

Heretofore, the driving of steel plate piles has necessitated the driving hammer which weighs, for example, three tons, being laid upon its side whilst a pile is secured to an attachment of the hammer in such a manner that thepile is held in a definite position relatively to the hammer. The hammer and pile are thereafter raised and swung into position for driving the pile. The piles are often sixty feet in height and the operation described takes a relatively long period of time so that the number of piles which it is possible to drive in one hour is relatively small and rarely exceeds four in number.

The improved pile driver according to this invention comprises a driving hammer, or an adaptor arranged to be carried by a hammer, having a bifurcated lower end, and suspension means arranged to connect a pile to the hammer or adaptor in such a manner that as the pile is raised from a substantially horizontal position, the upper end thereof swings automatically into position within the bifurcation so that the pile assumes a substantially definite upright position relatively to the hammer.

A constructional example of the improved pile driver is illustrated as to the relevant parts in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved pile driver in lowered position for raising one end of a pile to be driven, showing also in dotted lines the successive positions relatively to the hammer into which the pile comes as the hammer is raised; 7

Fig. 2 is a side view at right angles to Fig. 1, the pile to be raised and driven being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional plan on the line HIHI of Fig. 2 showing also in dotted lines a pile in position to be driven and interlocked on one side with a pile already driven and on the other side with a stand ing pile about to be driven.

Referring to the drawing, in the construction illustrated an adaptor is used with the pile driving hammer and is connected with the hammer as follows.

The framework of the adaptor is formed by four straight vertically disposed channel steel members 1, 2, 3, 4 which are bolted around the hammer casing. The upper end of the hammer casing terminates in the top 7 casing by the bolts 16 and 17 respectively (Fig. 1).

A bifurcated jaw member formed ofsteel plate and channel members is secured to the lower ends of steel channels 14 which extend below the contact face of the anvil 11;

This bifurcated member is formed of upwardly extending

channel portions

18 and 19, of which the member 18 isse'cured on one side to the steel channel 1 by upperand lower

stiffening plates

20 and 21 and on the other side to steel channel 2 by similar stiffening plates of which the upper one only is seen at 22 in Fig. 3, while the member 19 is secured on one side to the steel channel 3 by upper and

lower stifi'ening'plates

23 and 24; and on the other side to steel channel l by similar stiffening plates of which the upper one only is-seen at 25. V i

A part of the lower stiffeningplate 24 is cut away as shown in Fig. 1 and the correspondj ing lower stifl'ening plate (which does not appear in the drawing) connectingthe channel member 19 to the vertical steel channel 4 is also cut away in a similar manner, so that

sides

28, 29 disposed at right angles to the face of the anvil 11, and when the adaptor is secured in position upon a driving hammer y we the striking face of the anvil 11 is located just clear, for example, by about one inch,of the upper open end 30 between the

parallel portions

28, 29 of the bifurcation. The hammer 1' and adaptor are permitted to move relatively Transversely disposed

members

31, 32 are secured upon. opposlte sides of the frame to the ends of chains 35 and 36 respectively to be connected to the'said

members

31 and 32. The other ends of the chains 35, 36 are connected by loops such as indicated at 37 to aclamp orclip 38 whichis firmly bolted to the pile 39 so that the chains form the suspension means between the adaptor and the 41 of theclamp 38 are placed in position upon opposite sides of the pile 39 and firmly secured thereto by means of bolts 42 arranged to extend through the two clamp members l0 and 41. The upper bar 40 is provided-with eyes upon; its two ends whereby the aforesaid chains 35 and 36' may be secured to the clamp, for instance by loops suchas shown at 37.

The position of the clamp 38 relatively to the upper end of the pile 39 to be driven is determined according to the length of the pile and so as to ensure that the upper end of the pile will swing automatically into the bird "zmouth 27 of the bifurcated jaw member when the adaptor and pile connected thereto are lifted with the striking hammer in a manner which willnow be. described.

Theoperation of the pile driver is as follows " ithe like by means of the lifting eye 6 so that the bifurcated end thereof is disposed adjacent tothat end of thepile which is to be driven, for instance the right hand end as shown in Fig. 1. The adaptor is connected to the clamp 38 by means of the chains 35, 36

and the hammer and adaptor are then raised" to lift the pile 39 clear of the ground, whereupon the upper end swings into the birdmouth 27 of the bifurcation "so as to clear the inclined face 26 and becomes located withweight of the in the space between the two

parallel faces

28, 29 of the bifurcation. The hammer and adaptor together with the pile are then swung into the desired position andthe complete assembly lowered. As soonas the weight of the pile is taken by the material into which it is to be drivenand/or by its locking en gagement with the preceding pile, the hammer and adaptor move downwardly relatively to the pilewhich then extends into the space between the'vertical parallelfaces 28 'and 29 of the bifurcation until the upper end structure of the adaptor and holes are pro- 'vided in the said members to enable hooks or loops such as shown at 33 and 34 secured of the pile contacts with the striking face of the anvil 11. Further downward movement of the pile is then effected by virtue of the hammer and when this downward movement ceases the usual striking operations of the hammer are commenced to drive the pile. During this operation 'the

parallel faces

28, 29 of the bifurcation are reciprocated relatively to the upper end of the pile. g

If the upper end of the pile is located at a comparatively great height from the ground during the initial part of the driving operation, the removal of'the clamp 38 and chains 35, 36 may be effected after the pile has been driven a certain amount so as to bring the clamp into a convenient position for removal.

It will be appreciated that when the pile is swung into position so that the upper end thereof is located in the bird-mouth portion 27 of the bifurcation, the distance between the upper end of the pile and the striking face of the anvil 11 provides sufficient slack in the connecting chains to allow for the striking operations of the hammer to be effected.

It will be observed from the foregoing deerations commenced, with a minimum expenditure of time and labour. In actual practice it is found possible to drive a relatively much greater number of piles in an hour than heretofore.

When the adaptor above described is employed for driving steel piles of a corrugated or other angular or curved cross-sectional configuration, the various members forming the bifurcation are shaped to correspond therewith or to clear the edges of the pile.

Further, when driving hammers of the usual type are employed in which an anvil block is located upon the bottom face of the hammer and is confined between four legs located at Levaeea upper ends of the next adjacent pile or piles which have already been driven.

Instead of the adaptor described above a hammer may be constructed according to the invention with a bird-mouth bifurcation formed integrally therewith or with the anvil block thereof.

Further, it is to be understood that modifications in the form of the bifurcation may be made to accommodate various piling sections which it is desired to drive.

It is also to be understoodthat the above described suspension means for connecting a pile to be driven to the hammer or adaptor may be variously modified, for example, links and lost motion devices may be provided in lieu of the chains, the lost motion devices enabling the strokes of the hammer relatively to the pile to be effected. The construction of the clamp 38 may also be modified and may comprise any automatically acting type of gripping device.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Pile driving apparatus'for steel plate piling, comprising a driving member, means for suspending, lowering, and raising the driving member, an anvil face on the driving member, two jaw members projecting beyond and at right angles to the anvil face and form ing a recess between them, and a connection between the pile to be driven and the driving member enabling the operation of raising the driving member from its lowered position to simultaneously move the pile from a recumbent positon on the ground into an upright position with the driven end inserted in the recess between said jaw members ready to be driven. I

2. Pile driving apparatus for steel plate piling, comprising a driving member, a bifurcated lower end of the driving member, means for suspending the driving member, lowering it from and raising it to its operative position, and means for attaching a pile while in a substantially horizontal position on the ground to the driving member in its lowered position such that the operation of raising the driving member from said position into driving position simultaneously raises the pile and causes the driven end of the same automatically to enter the bifurcation at the lower end of the driving member in position for the driving operation.

3. Pile driving apparatus for steel plate piling, comprising a driving member, a bifurcated lower end of-the driving member, means for suspending the driving member, lowering it from and raising it to its operative position, and a connection between the driving member and a pile lying on the ground such that the movement of the driving member from its lowered to its operative position moves the driven end of the pile into the bifurcation at the lower end of the driving member andallows'the pile automatically toswing into position to be driven. 54. Pile driving apparatus for steel plate piling, comprising a driving hamn1'er,.and an adaptor constructed around the driving hammer casing,'the adaptor consisting of interconnected angle steel memloers having ends extending beyond the anvil of the hammer, and stifl'eningplates connected to the extended ends of the angle .steel members arranged to form betweenthem a comparativelyvnarrowpassage having parallel sides di hammer, a stiffening structure connected between the extended ends of two adjacent cornermembers of the saidrectangular frame, andanother stiffening structure connected betweenthe extended ends of the other two adjacent corner members of the said rectangular frame, the two stiffening structures forming between them a comparatively narrow passage having parallel sides direct edat right angles to the face of the anvil of the hammer and adapted to receive be tween them the driving end of a pile.

6. Pile driving apparatus for steel plate piling, comprising a driving hammer and an adaptor constructed around the driving hammer casing, the adaptor consisting of four interconnected angle steel members forming the parallel corners of an elongated rectangular frame extending beyond the an vil of the hammer, a stiffening structure connected between the extended ends of two adj acent corner members of the said rectangular frame, and another stiffening structure connected between the extended ends of the other two adjacent corner members of the said rectangular frame, the two stiffening structures forming jaw members of a bifurcation adapted to engage the driving end of a pile, and the outer end of one jaw member being inclined away from the other aw member.

7. The method of bringing a sheet metal pile from a recumbent position on the ground into and retaining said pile in driving position relative to a pile driver, which consists in lowering the pile driver by the usual means (such as a crane) to a position approximately vertical over the end of the recumbent .pile to be driven, attaching the pile driver while suspended vertically in said position to the recumbent pile by means (such as slings) connecting points on opposite sides of-the pile driver at a predetermined distance above the anvil face of thelatter to points on opposite edges of the pile at a predeter mined distance from thedriving end thereof, and Vertically raising the :pile driver and attached pile to allow the driving end of the pile to swing automatically into a prepared bifurcation provided on the lower end of the pile driver so as to dispense with the necessity for laying the driving hammer on its 7 side while securingthe pile to an attachment of the hammer.

r 8. A method of bringing a sheet metal pile from a recumbent position on the ground into and retaining said pile in driving position relative to a pile driver, whch consists in lowering the pile driver to a position over oneend of the recumbent pile, attaching the pile driver while suspended to one end of the recumbentpile by means connecting points on opposite sides of the pile driver at a predetermined distance above the anvil faceof the latter to points on opposite edges of the pile at a predetermined distance from the driving end thereof, and vertically raising the pile driver and attached pile to allow the driving end of the pile to swing automatically into a prepared bifurcation provided on the lower end of the pile driver so as to dispense with the necessity for laying the driving hammer on its end while securing the pile to an attachment of the hammer."

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature. REGINALD GEORGE SALMON.